Victim code execution via ambiguous branch names
Published Apr 5, 2023 · Updated Feb 11, 2025
Improper ref handling in GitLab before 15.8.5, 15.9.0 through 15.9.3, and 15.10.0 allows remote authenticated users to disguise branch content. Repository branch creation accepts names such as refs/heads/main, while Git ref resolution and the web interface select different branches for the ambiguous reference. An authenticated repository owner can show benign files in the interface while a victim who clones the default branch and executes its files runs attacker-controlled content.
Summary
What happened
Improper ref handling in GitLab before 15.8.5, 15.9.0 through 15.9.3, and 15.10.0 allows remote authenticated users to disguise branch content. Repository branch creation accepts names such as refs/heads/main, while Git ref resolution and the web interface select different branches for the ambiguous reference. An authenticated repository owner can show benign files in the interface while a victim who clones the default branch and executes its files runs attacker-controlled content.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2023-0450
- Published
- Apr 5, 2023
- Updated
- Feb 11, 2025
- Vendor
- GitLab
- Product
- GitLab
- Classifications
- CWE-840, T1204.002
- Attack vector
- network
- Privileges
- authenticated
Timeline
How it unfolded
- Apr 5, 2023CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
- Feb 11, 2025Record updatedLatest update available in the CVE record.
Exploitability
Present is not the same as exploitable
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Is a vulnerable build present?
Compare these published version ranges with your installed build and any vendor patches.
- Affected versionversion=>=15.10, <15.10.1
- Affected versionversion=>=15.9, <15.9.4
- Affected versionversion=>=8.1, <15.8.5
What conditions does exploitation require?
What is affected?
Published CVSS scores
CVSS describes severity. EPSS estimates exploitation probability.
Attacks
What attackers are doing with it
Daily unique IPs observed by Shadowserver honeypots for known exploited vulnerabilities (KEVs). Missing observations do not establish an absence of attacks.
Public exploit references
- Ambiguous branch-name reproductionfunctional · demonstrated
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Technologies
Your stack
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Your stack
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